Proceeds Exceeding $2.3 Million Benefit The Peter J. Tobin College of Business and School of Risk Management
January 20, 2017
St. John’s School of Risk Management, Insurance and Actuarial Science (SRM), part of The Peter J. Tobin College of Business, honored Anthony F. Markel, Vice Chairman of the Board, Markel Corporation, as the 2016 Insurance Leader of the Year was held on Wednesday, January 18, in Manhattan. The 22nd Annual Insurance Leader of the Year Award Dinner brought in nearly $2.4 million in fund-raising, including pledged gifts by Markel Corporation and Burns & Wilcox, to support one of the School’s funding priorities. The combined total proceeds benefit the University’s students with scholarship monies and provide needed resources and support for SRM programs.
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“At the annual Insurance Leader of the Year Dinner, industry executives give generously in honor of one of their own, while also ensuring the sustained growth of the School of Risk Management, Insurance and Actuarial Science,” said Conrado “Bobby” Gempesaw, Ph.D., President of St. John’s University. “The unwavering support by the insurance trade for our students is overwhelming and greatly appreciated.”
The Insurance Leader of the Year Award, presented annually since 1995, recognizes the contributions of outstanding individuals whose leadership in the worldwide insurance and financial services industry sets them apart from their peers. Last year’s recipient was Prem Watsa, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited.
"The Tobin College of Business is known for providing a high-quality experiential education for students who want to launch a career in the insurance industry. The devotion of executives such as Tony Markel to higher education sets an example for all business leaders," said Norean R. Sharpe, Ph.D., Dean, The Peter J. Tobin College of Business.
“You start with the fact that the School of Risk Management’s DNA or ecosystem, as I like to call it, has been around for 116 years. The industry’s support of what was the College of Insurance to now what is known as SRM is decades old,” said Brandon Sweitzer, Dean of the School of Risk Management, Insurance and Actuarial Science. “The industry believes in supporting young people and the industry needs young people to continue to thrive. The great outpouring of support for this event is a sign of the upward trajectory of St. John’s and the reputation of the University as a whole.”
Mr. Markel’s success story within the insurance industry is remarkable. It’s the tale of the transformation and growth of a family business to a global success story and the building of a market leader based upon results-oriented teamwork. Markel Corporation, a holding company for insurance, reinsurance, and investment operations around the world, is recognized for its “Markel Style,” a corporate culture in which integrity, transparency, honesty, sense of humor, disdain for bureaucracy, striving for a better way, teamwork, sharing success with others, and passion for the work are regarded as nonnegotiable.
“This industry is truly a people business,” said Mr. Markel before a crowd of close to 1,500 in New York City’s Marriott Marquis Ballroom. “Think about it…the very essence and foundation of our industry is a promise to pay in the event of a loss. What other business relies exclusively on trust, and hence depends on and fosters personal relationships, more than the insurance industry? We aggressively compete with one another every day but come together as friends and colleagues proud of the role we play in the economic mosaic. I love this industry for the relationships it avails and the lifetime of friendships it has created for me.”
Following an emotional video presentation about Mr. Markel’s life, Honorary Dinner Cochairmen F. Michael Crowley, Vice Chairman of Markel Corporation; M. Steven DeCarlo, CEO of AmWINS Group, Inc.; and Alan Jay Kaufman, Chairman, President, and CEO of Kaufman Group/Burns & Wilcox; along with SRM Board of Overseers Chairman Kevin H. Kelley, Chief Executive Officer of Ironshore, Inc., formally presented Mr. Markel with the 2016 Insurance Leader of the Year Award.